MEN SECURE 9TH PLAYOFF WHILE WOMEN MOVE INTO FINAL MATCH AGAINST CHILE
The Vantage Black Sticks Men secured top spot in their classification pool and a place in the ninth-place playoff at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, while the Vantage Black Sticks Women will now turn their attention to finishing their campaign strongly in their final match against Chile.
The men produced another strong performance to defeat Pakistan 4-2 and finish unbeaten at the top of Pool G.
New Zealand made the perfect start, with Dylan Thomas opening the scoring after just 22 seconds following a well-worked team move. Scott Boyde doubled the advantage early in the second quarter, firing home a powerful reverse-stick strike.
The pressure continued as George Baker made it 3-0 in the 22nd minute, getting a crucial deflection in front of goal from a Dylan Thomas assist.
Pakistan fought their way back into the contest during the third quarter, scoring twice from penalty corners to reduce the deficit to just one. However, Kane Russell sealed the result in the 49th minute, firing home a penalty corner to secure the 4-2 victory.
The win sees the Vantage Black Sticks finish Pool G with maximum points and earn a place in the ninth-place playoff against Ireland.
The Vantage Black Sticks Women narrowly missed out on victory to finish their Pool H campaign , going down 2-1 to Scotland in a tightly contested match.
Britt Wang gave New Zealand the lead in the 23rd minute, finishing off a ball fired across the face of goal. Scotland responded just minutes later to level the scores before halftime.
The match remained evenly poised until Scotland found the decisive goal from a penalty-corner rebound with just 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Despite creating opportunities throughout the match, New Zealand couldn’t find another breakthrough and will now play Chile in the 15th/16th playoff.
Head coach Phil Burrows said the group was disappointed but remains focused on finishing the tournament strongly.
“It’s been a tough trip and there have been plenty of lessons along the way. We’ve got one game left now, and it’s important that we finish this tournament with pride in the shirt and represent ourselves and New Zealand the way we want to.”
“We live, we learn, and we move forward.”
While the results have not gone the way the Vantage Black Sticks Women had hoped, the group will have one final opportunity to put in a performance they can be proud of before turning their attention to the lessons and growth that will come from their World Cup experience.
The Vantage Black Sticks Women will take on Chile in the 15th/16th playoff on Wednesday 27 August at 9:00pm NZT.
The Vantage Black Sticks Men will then face Ireland in the ninth-place playoff on Friday 29 August at 12:00am NZT.
Both teams will be looking to finish their 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup campaigns with strong performances and plenty of pride in the black shirt.
New Zealand Goal Scorers: MEN
1' Dylan Thomas - Field Goal
16' Scott Boyde - Field Goal
22' George Baker - Field Goal
49' Kane Russell - Penalty Corner Goal
New Zealand Goal Scorers: WOMEN
23' Britt Wang - Field Goal